3 things Packers must do to bounce back vs. Buccaneers in Week 15
By Joe Tuman
Allow Jordan Love to get comfortable
Finally, Jordan Love and the offense must flush the disappointing showing against New York and get back on track.
Since November 1, Love has been on fire. He's thrown 12 touchdowns and only three picks across that span and helped Green Bay get back into the postseason conversation.
There were several issues against the Giants that caused this hot streak to dampen, beginning with an imbalance of play-calling.
Matt LaFleur is evidently now comfortable letting Love take risks and showcase his cannon of an arm, but there were times during the Giants game when it felt the team was forcing Love to make a miracle for the sake of it. The offensive execution seemed needlessly desperate early in the game compared to previous winning displays.
Additionally, the absence of a resurgent Christian Watson, along with nagging injuries to both Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks, further sputtered the game plan out of control.
Nonetheless, Green Bay still almost pulled off the win after Malik Heath's late-game touchdown. The Packers came so close to winning ugly, so they'll hope a possible return to form this week will translate to a victory.
On the other side, Tampa Bay's pass defense is a far cry from what it was when these two teams met in the 2021 NFC title game. Despite similar personal, the Buccaneers have sunk to the league's third-worst defense against the pass.
So, with the wideouts expected to be healthier—and the potential return of Aaron Jones also looming—Love should have the weapons he needs to quickly toss last week's showing aside.
After a rocky first two months, he and his young receiving corps have improved their chemistry substantially. With a must-win game on the horizon, they'll be out to prove themselves further in Week 15.